Amazon HQ2 thread

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Why are we acting like CC is out in the country all by its lonesome self? Lets be real, this location, urban-wise, is better than pretty much any other contender besides Chicago, Philly, and the NY metro area.

And anywhere remotely urban in DC, Boston, Baltimore, Seattle, Portland, Bay Area, LA, SD, NOLA, and many others.

Crystal City is, easily the least urban office node in the core region of the DC metro. It's your typical suburban office park, just well-located. They could have filmed Office Space or The Office there. There's probably a local branch of Chotchkies or Shenaniganz.

[YSL]

Originally Posted by jd3189

If you’re right, Amazon redeemed themselves. Would have wanted a mid-size city similar to Seattle, but it is what it is. NYC ( via Brooklyn, Queens, and even Manhattan) has the ability to provide the jobs this HQ2 may need.


But still, this thread is fricking hilarious. I have to observe that loser thread soon too.

Yup.
Bezos also has homes in NYC and DC. He seems to really partial to those cities.

I wonder how this works though... so will amazons HQ be listed as Seattle, New York, Arlington equally? Which city gets dibs on Amazon in of those top corporations by cities dick measuring contests on this forum?

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Lets be real, this location, urban-wise, is better than pretty much any other contender besides Chicago, Philly, and the NY metro area.

Right, because everyone knows that Crystal City, VA is much more urban than San Francisco, L.A., Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, Boston, etc.

[Pedestrian]

Amazon Plans to Split HQ2 Evenly Between Two Cities
By Laura Stevens and Shayndi Raice
Updated Nov. 5, 2018 10:57 p.m. ET

Amazon.com Inc. plans to split its second headquarters evenly between two locations rather than picking one city, according to a person familiar with the matter, a surprise decision that will spread the impact of a massive new office across a pair of communities.

The driving force behind the decision to build two equal offices for “HQ2”—in addition to the company’s headquarters in Seattle—is to allow it to recruit more of the best tech talent, according to the person familiar with the company’s plans. The move will also ease potential issues with housing, transit and other areas where adding tens of thousands of workers could cause problems . . . .

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Amazon was in late-stage discussions with a small handful of communities including Crystal City in Northern Virginia, Dallas and New York City.

. . . the split means the company is essentially creating two offices smaller than its Seattle headquarters, which holds 45,000 workers.

By building two headquarters, Amazon can tap different geographic regions for talent, including some who may not want to move too far from home. It may also not be competing with other major tech giants in a given area, like it does with Microsoft Corp. in the Seattle area . . . .

Northern Virginia’s Crystal City, a neighborhood in Arlington County, appears to be a front-runner to take one of the two final positions, according to people familiar with the matter . . . .

Another top candidate, Dallas, has a lower cost of living and public-private partnership incentives, in the form of tax abatements, grants, infrastructure cost sharing and other methods to offset project and operational costs. It is also in Texas, which doesn’t levy personal income taxes, something that could prove attractive to workers for relocation.

In New York, one neighborhood Amazon has explored is Long Island City, in Queens, the Journal previously reported. That borders the East River overlooking Manhattan and is being developed with high-rise buildings filled with young professionals . . . .

https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-plan...n-two-cities-1541446552?mod=hp_lead_pos1

So essentially it's to be Crystal City and either Dallas or New York. The WSJ is featuring this article tonight on the front page of its web site at the top of the news column in the largest type. They must be pretty certain about it. Bezos seems to be a confirmed urbanist so I'm betting it's to be Crystal City and Long Island City and the continued mentioning of Dallas is some kind of consolation prize. Washington and New York. Almost makes Seattle seem superfluous and it's sad, in a way, that they are admitting they aren't competing for talent very well against Microsoft in their home town (poor Seattle: First Boeing, now this).

[mhays]

Yeah, they've only added a net 40,000 more people in Seattle in this decade...terrible!

Meanwhile they've continued to break ground on new buildings in Seattle during this process, including 400,000 sf that started shoring operations on Friday or so.

Maybe they'll shrink here eventually, but the most common guess in Seattle commercial real estate circles is they'll grow more slowly.

[dc_denizen]

Irresponsible of them to select two locations (dc and nyc) which already ‘have it all’

Imagine what this could have done for Pittsburgh (home of Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, etc), for example

Same old same old concentration of economic activity in the top performing cities

Really, a disgusting decision by bezos.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

I really don't love Crystal City...but yall are forcing me to defend it often...


"Not being able to leave would be intolerable"- what does that mean? Like being in prison there? Being walled in? Yeah, not being to leave any area would suck.


CC to central DC (Scott Circle) driving is 11 minutes without traffic.

CC to Foggy Bottom station in DC is 12 minutes.

Same trip as above, but biking, 30 minutes.

Hell, same trip, walking...1 hour 35 minutes.

Why are we acting like CC is out in the country all by its lonesome self? Lets be real, this location, urban-wise, is better than pretty much any other contender besides Chicago, Philly, and the NY metro area.

It's a suburban office park that happens to be physically close to the city.

Also this part of NoVa and DC itself isn't known for being often "without traffic" as my many hours in vehicles here can attest.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by Crawford

And anywhere remotely urban in DC, Boston, Baltimore, Seattle, Portland, Bay Area, LA, SD, NOLA, and many others.

Crystal City is, easily the least urban office node in the core region of the DC metro. It's your typical suburban office park, just well-located. They could have filmed Office Space or The Office there. There's probably a local branch of Chotchkies or Shenaniganz.

100% this.

[antinimby]

Amazon is getting so big that one city is not enough so that's why they're expanding. I have a feeling that this won't be the end of their HQ expansion either. There is still hope for Chicago and Atlanta maybe further down the line.

Amazon is becoming a behemoth.

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

Irresponsible of them to select two locations (dc and nyc) which already ‘have it all’

Imagine what this could have done for Pittsburgh (home of Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, etc), for example

Same old same old concentration of economic activity in the top performing cities

Really, a disgusting decision by bezos.

Yeah, that's the really unfortunate part.

But, it's his company and his money. Oh well.

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

Right, because everyone knows that Crystal City, VA is much more urban than San Francisco, L.A., Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, Boston, etc.

Right, because I don't think San Francisco was even in the running nor L.A. I honestly forgot Boston.

Detroit and Miami offer nothing in terms of urbanity compared to CC and its location.

You would have to be surgical to get better urbanity and access in Houston, Atlanta, or Dallas, but I suppose it could be done.

Edited*

[skyscraperpage17]

I suppose if master-planned, cookie-cutter communities are your thing, Crystal City would be "urban."

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by k1052

It's a suburban office park that happens to be physically close to the city.

Also this part of NoVa and DC itself isn't known for being often "without traffic" as my many hours in vehicles here can attest.

Jesus, suburban office park? With two subway stations(not light rail) and an airport RIGHT there and our nations capital literally 12 mins away by subway?

Also, I travel from SW DC to the airport often enough to know there certainly are times with no traffic. And in any case, even with traffic, the drive over the bridge is annoying but nothing catastrophic.

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

I suppose if master-planned, cookie-cutter communities are your thing, Crystal City would be "urban."

Do people walk around the area? Yes.
Is there public transport? Yes.
Can you live and work there? Yes(my dad did).
Do you have easy access to large urban amenities? Yes.


Do the aesthetics really get yall that much? Because it checks all the marks for standard American urbanity.

[skyscraperpage17]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Do the aesthetics really get yall that much?

Yes.

And until now (given how Amazon has grown in Seattle), we thought it got Bezos too.

[James Bond Agent 007]

DC and NYC would be OK with me. As I said several months ago, as long as it's not Dallas or Atlanta I'm fine with it. Although I'm sort-of 'meh' on DC.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Jesus, suburban office park? With two subway stations(not light rail) and an airport RIGHT there and our nations capital literally 12 mins away by subway?

Also, I travel from SW DC to the airport often enough to know there certainly are times with no traffic. And in any case, even with traffic, the drive over the bridge is annoying but nothing catastrophic.

Yeah, wait, I thought inner ring suburbs were cool.

I don't get the criticism on the Crystal City selection. It's literally next door to Reagan National Airport, has a metro station [7 minute ride to DCA], adjacent to the 395, is about as close to Washington without being in Washington and it has a chick-fil-a.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Jesus, suburban office park? With two subway stations(not light rail) and an airport RIGHT there and our nations capital literally 12 mins away by subway?

Also, I travel from SW DC to the airport often enough to know there certainly are times with no traffic. And in any case, even with traffic, the drive over the bridge is annoying but nothing catastrophic.

I think I covered the merit of it's location with "happens to be close to the city".

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

Yes.

And until now (given how Amazon has grown in Seattle), we thought it got Bezos too.

There is probably more foot traffic in CC on an average day than most of downtown Dallas though, I don't get the criticism.

I feel like groupthink takes hold really quickly on SSP. It isn't the best choice for urbanity, but its most certainly better than most. If NYC would be a 10 and suburban Chicago would be a 1 I would give this a solid 6.

Most cities would have a hard time producing a 6, imo.

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by k1052

I think I covered the merit of it's location with "happens to be close to the city".

I have too, multiple times. What is your point?